Dynamic Response and Fatigue-Life Analysis of High-Speed Railway Tunnel Base with Defects

Based on the repeated “tensile-compressive-tensile-compressive” stress characteristics of tunnel-base concrete structure, double scalar damage variables were defined using the concrete stochastic damage mechanics. The elastoplastic Helmholtz free energy was corrected by introducing the hardening parameter. A stochastic dynamic damage constitutive model with the nonlinear and strain-rate effect behavior of concrete was derived via dynamic expansion of damage energy based on the principle of energy dissipation. An “elastic prediction-plastic correction” numerical analysis algorithm was developed based on the solution of the probability density evolution equation. Secondary development of the algorithm was achieved using the Universal Distinct Element Code (UDEC) for numerical calculation of the proposed constitutive model. A comparison was made between the calculation result and the result of laboratory rapid uniaxial compression test to verify the model. Dynamic response and damage features of the tunnel-base structure in three working conditions, i.e., filled layer without seam, filled layer with seam and ground water, and filled layer with seam but without water, were analyzed based on engineering practice. According to the analysis, structural vibration response was intensified in the presence of a seam. With and without groundwater, the vertical dynamic stress attenuation at both sides of the seam was 41.07% and 47.13%, respectively; vertical vibration acceleration was attenuated by 91.17% and 91.73%, respectively; and the acceleration amplitude at the upper structure of the seam increased by 724.67% and 765.02%, respectively. Groundwater in the seam would aggravate damage accumulation. It could be seen from the analysis that the current design parameters satisfied the antifatigue requirements within the design reference period at a train speed of 300 km/h when there was no seam in the tunnel-base concrete structure with IV-class surrounding rocks. When there was a seam in the tunnel-base concrete structure, however, antifatigue life was 56 years in the presence of groundwater and 62 years without groundwater, which suggested that current design parameters failed to satisfy the antifatigue requirements within the design reference period.